Practitioners of the art of perfumery or flavor creation are engaged in combining a number of substances having individual characteristics to produce a blend which has a desired effect on the senses. The art of perfumery is involved almost exclusively with the sense of smell. The art of flavor creation, however, is based on a combination of the senses of taste, smell, and, in many instances, touch in the form of "mouth feel". It is not surprising therefore, that many substances are commonly used by perfumers and flavorists since both practitioners appeal to the sense of smell in their creative effort.
Many materials used by perfumers and flavorists have organoleptic properties which of themselves are not pleasant or attractive, yet are still very useful for the purpose of blending or unifying certain organoleptic characteristics to provide a fragrance or flavor composition which is considered superior, more finished and complete and is more pleasing to the senses than a comparable composition which does not have that material.
For example, perfumers use materials having what is known in the art as "animalic" odors to simulate a quality known as "warmth" in a fragrance composition. This quality of "warmth" is found in many of the natural floral fragrances, especially Jasmin, Narcissus, Tuberose, Gardenia, Lilac and Ylang. In addition, this quality of "warmth" has in the evolution of the art of perfumery become an inherently desirable quality and is often employed in a variety of fragrance types for both men and women.
The most useful and valued of the animalic odor materials such as civet, castoreum and ambergris are derived from animal secretions. Their limited availability and great expense has led to the search and development of products from synthetic or botanical origins which can economically be used to enhance or imitate the effect of these expensive animal derived products.
Similarly, the flavorist is well aware that natural foods contain a number of compounds which contribute subtle effects to the overall sensory perception and which do not themselves demonstrate a flavor which the ordinary person would associate with that particular food. Indeed, many of these compounds when evaluated in concentrated form are actually unpleasant, yet used in dilute form they tend to blend and unify the other flavoring materials and provide nuances which contribute to the overall impression of the natural flavor.
In creating flavors for foodstuffs and/or luxury consumables (tea, tobacco, etc.) the flavorist is often seeking to duplicate natural flavors and is constantly looking for chemicals which so contribute to the overall impression of the flavor so as to make it more natural. The flavorist refers to such compounds as contributing "naturalness" to the flavor. The flavor notes which are sought to provide this "naturalness" are often those described as fermented, acidic, woody, musty, sweaty, spicy etc. in character.